Recently on this blog, we reported that allergy experts expect this year's spring pollen season to be worse than usual. We understand that this is the last thing allergy sufferers want to hear, but luckily there are some tips you can follow to maintain your comfort and well-being:
Be proactive – Although avoiding allergens is the best way to prevent negative reactions, no one wants to spend the warm spring and summer days holed up indoors. Dr. Paul Enright, an allergy expert for WebMD, suggests using an antihistamine 30 minutes before going outside to help prevent an attack from happening in the first place.
Stay clean – This applies to both you and your house. Washing your hands is a simple and effective way to keep yourself healthy, especially when you're exposed to a large number of allergens. Additionally, sweeping, scrubbing and decluttering your home can combat mold, pet dander, dust and other common household irritants.
Wash your clothes and bedding frequently – "After you come inside on a nice spring day, you are literally covered in allergens," Dr. Neil Kao, who specializes in allergy and immunology at the Allergic Disease and Asthma Center in South Carolina, told WebMD. "You track it through your house, and worse, you get in bed covered with the pollen or grass spores that make you congested. Guess what? Now you are going to lie in it for eight hours and wake up feeling miserable." To avoid this, plan to wash your clothes and bedding more than usual.
With all this information in mind, it's a good idea for allergy sufferers to take the proper steps to minimize their symptoms. In addition to following the advice in this article, you may want to consider investing in a whole house air purifier, which removes allergens directly from the air.
